The Island’s CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE Name: Elliott Gorelick Age: 46 Occupation: Student/Intern Pharmacist Relevant experience: I have a B.A. in Economics from Stanford University and a M.S. in Management Science and Engineering also from Stanford. I have taken several courses in health economics at UC Berkeley and am currently pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at UCSF. I am currently employed as a pharmacy intern by Kaiser. Why are you running for this office?: I have a great deal of interest in healthcare and especially healthcare policy. I chose to return to school to become a pharmacist so that I could participate in the changes in healthcare that will be happening in the future. But close to home, there is a healthcare issue that needs addressing. It is costing Alamedans 5,000,000 dollars per year (the parcel tax of ~300 dollars per year) and the result is worse health outcomes than if we were paying nothing and the Hospital did not exist. It is not politically correct to say so, but the presence of Alameda Hospital in our community means poorer health for Alamedans and we pay for that privilege. Why should we vote for you?: I am the only candidate who is willing to address a critical eye to the actual value the Hospital is providing. I am the only candidate who is willing to evaluate healthcare outcomes and be willing to take action if the result of that evaluation is that the continued operation of the Hospital in its present configuration leads to poorer health for the community. What do you feel are the roles and responsibilities of the office you’re seeking?: Management/staff serve to run day-to-day operations and act in an executive capacity except where superseded by Board directives. What do you think is the most pressing issue you would face if elected and what would you do to address it?: The most pressing issue is that the Hospital provides lower quality care at a higher price than alternatives. The Hospital Board should close its emergency room. It should create an urgent care clinic with extended or 24/7 hours. It should create a disaster plan in case of some catastrophic event that requires triage or emergency treatment locally in Alameda. This plan should be in place for

such an event, but should not require ongoing expenditures of the size that the current subsidy to the Hospital requires. The hospital is facing two major challenges: The loss of its surgical contract with Kaiser Permanente and earthquake fixes that will cost $10 million. If elected, how would you seek to handle those challenges?: The number one priority is to close the Hospital because it provides lower quality care at a higher price. This will free up funds for more productive efforts. What services do you think the hospital should provide to residents?: Create an emergency action plan in the unlikely prospect that Alameda is cut-off during an emergency. This was one of the original selling points of the parcel tax, but it turns out we could have hired a fleet of medi-evac helicoptors for less money than the hospital is costing us. I'm not suggesting that, but a plan for triage and access to equipment would be a reasonable project for the Healthcare District to pursue. Investigate alternative healthcare arrangements for Alamedans. What is most needed is an urgent care center open to all with extended hours or even 24/7. I think that the Hospital has already taken some steps towards that goal. It does not require an emergency room to accomplish this and it meets the needs of Alamedans who want to be able to find a place to treat their non-emergency issues in a safe, pleasant, convenient manner. It is also more likely to be able to require little or no subsidy so that the parcel tax assessment could be reduced or eliminated. General healthcare promotion efforts (blood pressure screening, diabetes screening, cardiac screening) should also be pursued by the District.